Revolver Load Development

[Fabrat]

Hello all -- Do you generally develop loads for your revolvers like you do for a rifle? I have a new revolver thats hitting way low at 50 yards. I have cranked the sights to bring POI up but have run out of adjustment . The gun is a .357 magnum, I'm shooting 158 JHPs... they are hitting one foot low at 50 yards. Would different bullets hit any higher ( or lower ) ? Generally speaking, do heavier bullets hit higher than lighter ones ( at short range ) ? Any suggestions for load development would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any help.....

Fabrat

 

[E357]

Yes heavier, slower bullets will hit higher at 50 yards with .357 magnum loads. What kind of revolver and barrel length do you have? Is it new to YOU (used), or NIB? I assume your shooting factory type loads, or are you reloading? It may have the wrong rear sight blade - one foot at 50 (6" at 25) is pretty far off.

Elliot

 

[Fabrat]

E357 -- its a brand new Taurus Tracker with a 4" barrel. The ammo is factory, but I'm all set up to handload. I've been thinking that I may want to experiment with bullet weight , powder charge, etc... I generally use Win 296 for magnum loads. I also think that being that low at short range is kinda strange...

Fabrat

 

[Master Blaster]

Have you tried shooting the revolver off of a sandbag?

50 yards for a 4" barreled revolver is tough to shoot real well especially with iron sights.

Are you hitting low left and are yoou right handed.

Its possible that its your trigger control / technique/ recoil anticipation.

I would try shooting rested on a sandbag.

 

[Fabrat]

Master B... all shots were fired from a rest. I wanted to see what the gun would do before I tried it offhand. The shots are consistantly low " dead center " ... like I'm heeeling the gun but the rest tends to rule that out...

Fabrat

 

[E357]

Fabrat, I'm assuming you know how to shoot since I saw another one of your posts before on hunting. To make life a little easier you can test your loads at 25 yards, you'll still be in the ballpark at 50 yards, maybe about 2-3 inches down at 75 and another 4-6 at 100.

It does sound like you may have a problem. Maybe they put a sight from a different caliber gun on yours; it happens. Call them and try and speak to a Smith to get the correct height of the rear blade. But I doubt that you'll be told anything other than to send the gun in for repairs by the phone answering people.

If you can't get help and don't want to mount a red-dot or scope full time, you are left with maybe just finding a longer adjustment screw for the rear sight or removing some metal from the front sight.

Your gun almost sounds like it was zeroed for 158 grain 38 specials. I had this exact opposite problem with my 8" Smith Model 27 that I used for Silhouette shooting. The gun was perfect with full power loads but useless with 38 target loads at close range - shot about 6-8 inches high. I sold it to another Silhouette shooter and he is still super happy with it.




Elliot

 

[C.R.Sam]

Agree with E357...
Sounds like sights regulated for a lighter/slower load.

Sam

 

[Fabrat]

Thanks all - I'll be heading back to the range with a bunch of .38 Specials.
Nothing to lose and its just plain old fun..

Fabrat